10 Songs, 10 Stories Challenge
by Detonator Stera
Summary: Inspiration generating exercise. Exactly what the title implies. Kat/Max-centric.


_Disclaimer: Max Steel, and associated characters, do not belong to me in any way, shape or form. There's a list of companies that this awesome show does belong to, but at this point I think they've changed hands so much, I'm not sure who it is. Anyway, I'm not on the list. Sad._

**Author's Note:** So... in yet another valiant attempt to kick start my creativity streak (since kicking works soooooo well!) I found myself a little fanfic challenge: The 10 Songs, 10 Stories Challenge. Rules are simple: pick a pairing or character for focus, put music on random, and the first ten songs that play, write a story. Easy peasy, right? Well, I got one done! Since my choice was Kat/Max, or either of them if a song applies more to one or the other, I think it's really funny that the first one up was a song by P!nk.

Further Author's Note: The setting for this one is a mash up of the episode "Fan Appreciation," and Julia456's re-imaginging of same episode. I'm picking up from the actual end of the episode, but with Julia's monkey wrench idea for why Richard Shine kidnapped Kat, since just wanting to be her manager was lame. I hope Julia doesn't mind me borrowing a bit of her idea! *big hopeful eyes*

**10 Songs, 10 Stories Challenge**

**Song: Perfect, by P!nk**

**By:**

**Detonator Stera**

Kat watched super-perky-stalker-fangirl-megapark-employee-turned-failed-bomber-psycho Kelly be tucked, under high-pitched protest, into the back of the police cruiser, and heaved a sigh of relief. With Richard Shine similarly packed away, the world was marginally safer from creepy perky chaos, for the moment, at least. Pleased with the results of a hard day's kidnapping and escape, she arranged her crutches to turn and head for Team Steel's van. And found herself on the receiving end of a steady, too serious look from Max Steel. A faint alarm bell chimed in the back of her mind, but she ignored it in favor of shooting her partner a quirked eyebrow.

"Got something on your mind, Steel?" she quipped, a question and a challenge rolled into one. Max frowned, and looked a little uneasy.

"I need to talk to you later. Alone," he replied, casting a quick glance for Berto. Their techie turned manager was speaking to the police, and deftly avoiding giving any answers that would cause law enforcement to look too closely at Team Steel. Kat's gut pitched, but she bore down and shrugged.

"I got time now," she replied, forcing disinterest into her tone. Max nodded, and they made for the van, tense silence forming a nearly palpable barrier between them.

Kat bee-lined for the couch the moment they were in, easing down on the cushions before shoving the hated crutches to one side. She folded her arms nonchalantly across her chest, fixed Max with a "spit it out" scowl. Wordlessly, the super agent produced a file folder, and tossed it on the little coffee table separating them. Kat's gut twisted into a barbed wire pretzel as some of the papers slid out, police reports that she had never planned on anyone she knew in her current life to ever know about. Silence hung like a guillotine in the tiny, suddenly far too small space for a long moment.

"Grace Katherine, huh?" Max spoke finally. Kat cringed inwardly, but her face remained impassive.

"Not anymore, Steel. And _you're _not supposed to have seen this. She's _gone,_" she gritted out, eyes hard and blank on his, to cover up the bubble of panic trying to claw its way up her throat. Max met her gaze, then looked down at the file.

"She sounded like a pretty... hard girl," he commented finally. Kat fought for cool composure, but it had been a long day, a long few days, and this really wasn't a conversation she'd ever planned on having.

"She was a little punk who was angry at the world," she snapped, then swung a fist out, smacking the couch cushion with a solid thwack. "She didn't have a place in the world, and didn't know what to do about it," she added, feeling a little pang in her heart. A hard truth, one that she'd never admitted to herself when she'd been that angry little punk. Max was quiet for a long moment, also studying the folder laid between them. Kat was watching his face, waiting for the rejection she knew would be the only way this could end. Mentally, she braced herself for being kicked out of the place she'd finally started to think she could call hers. Her place in N-Tek, her place in Team Steel. Max's gaze was careful when he met hers, and he stepped around the coffee table.

"In that case, I'm glad she let Kat Ryan find a place for her," he said quietly, holding out a hand. Kat stared at him for a long moment, processing words different from what she expected to hear. Her gaze traveled, at length, to his hand. After a bare second longer, she reached out and clasped it, letting him pull her to her feet, grip firm to maintain her balance. "Whatever you were before, you're my partner now. And I trust you to have my back anytime," he added. Kat was silent, this time because she frowned deeply on blubbering like some idiot _girl_, and was afraid the bubble of emotion in her throat would result in exactly that. She fought for composure, then met his gaze.

"Thanks, Steel," she spoke finally, a faint, but genuine smile on her face. Max nodded, then let her go and picked up the file. Kat frowned when he turned for the door.

"What are you doing?" she questioned. Max looked at her, a grin quirking his mouth.

"Berto would kill me if I got smoke in his precious computers. I'm gonna torch this sucker outside," he replied. Kat felt relief, such a change from the tension that she nearly fell back on the couch. Instead, she grabbed her crutches, and made to navigate the coffee table.

"I get first match," she announced. Max grinned wider, and held the door open for her.

**Author's Note:** Hmm... That popped out suspiciously easy.


End file.
